"Do I Know You?"
Disclaimer!: I don't own Azumanga Daioh. If I did something like this would happen…
Summary: One-shots for the less popular Azumanga Daioh characters (Kaorin is popular but, whatever) getting coupled up. Every chapter has a song. I didn't feel like making a songfic so you have a choice of YouTube-searching the song and listening to it while you read or read without it. Pairings: Kaorin/Kimura Daughter, Chihiro/Ouyama aka Mr. Glasses Boy, Braid Maiden/Guy with Nyamo's haircut only brown, Chiyo's friends Yuka/Miruchi, Kimura's wife/Eiko (Yukari and Nyamo's friend), and Kaorin's Mom/Chiyo's Dad… or Kimura, you decide.
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It started when I was on my lunch break… my midnight lunch break, really. Despite my efforts, I didn't make into Miss Sakaki's veterinarian college so I returned to my former love of astronomy and that became my career. The people are very nice and it's always enjoyable to gaze at the stars – even when I'm not working I tend to do it and anything unusual I write in a notebook I have nearby. Call me a workaholic, hee hee.
I tend to see Tomo on the job so in desperation to hear about the well-being of my high school love I dine with her during her break – she works almost 24-7 so I can see her during night or day… usually night as I'm sleeping during the day, practically nocturnal now.
While I try to pry my necessary information from her, she brags about how she's on her way to becoming captain of her quadrant. I'm assuming that's a big deal, then again anything's a big deal for Tomo except what truly is important. If you were to tell Tomo the world was ending, all she would say it something along the lines of…
"Really? Damn, I guess we better move that trip to Magical Land up, huh?"
She talks about Yomi frequently – I'm not at all surprised. I always said Tomo was too mean to Yomi and that if they weren't the second most perfect couple out there I'd tell Yomi to really kick Tomo's butt. Hell, I'd probably help her. Who does Tomo think she is anyway? In "Cool vs. Cute" there can be only one who triumphs… sorry, Chiyo-chan.
"You know though, last time I heard from Sakaki she said she might have to start taking the night shift. She keeps getting this late teenage girl who always come sin with her pet cat who's like really sick all the time. I mean hairballs every kinda thing…"
"Miss Sakaki's going night shift!?" I cried, slamming my hands on the table, nearly knocking my tea and Tomo's coffee over as I stood. Many diners, waiters, and waitresses must've been staring, some bartenders too perhaps but I wasn't paying attention. You wouldn't either with such important information finally coming out of an idiot you never really liked…
Tomo blinked, "Well, yeah. I mean, Sakaki's loves kittens and the sick one gave birth awhile ago. Maya's usually around there too so it works perfect for her. I swear though, one of these days the vets are gonna figure out he's a wildcat."
I was no longer listening – golden flowers and jets spraying smoke that smelled of flowers and candy and expensive perfumes from all over the world with wedding bells and white clouds, blue skies and Sakaki-san were clouding my mind… ah… I was flying through my beautiful dream land, the one I haven't seen since high school… my clouds turned a glorious pink and flying through the clouds smelled like sweet, ripe raspberries. It reminded me so much of that song I loved so much back then…
"Well, duty calls. I just got a text from Officer Kouga saying he needed to switch with me. Something about that whiny wife of his… Seeya Kaorin!"
Before I could say anything, I was stuck paying for Tomo's coffee… and her cake… and her sak'e and that bottle of plum wine she 'treated me' to.
How on Earth did Miss Yomi put up with this for so long…
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I returned home around 6AM, dragging my tired body over to my answering machine to check in before I slept. I pressed the button to hear the messages before flopping face-down onto my bed, whining softly as I listened.
"Beeeeep. Three new messages and 4 old messages. Tuesday, 6:27 PM."
Kaorin's Mother's voice spoke, "Hello, Kaori, I know you're at work but I just wanted to check in and see how you were, I know you've been under a lot of stress what with work and everything but I just needed to call to tell you the big news – I found your perfect match!"
I groan – not again… so this is how Kurosawa-sensei felt about her mother's weekly calls.
"He's everything a young woman your age could every want, Kaori! He's handsome, charming, a nice dresser, great job, and he's very well on his way to striking it rich, honey! I've sent over his picture and information; call me back to tell me when I can arrange a date. Love you, hun! Kiss kiss!" Beep.
There was a sound of panting in the machine. I paled – Kimura-sensei. Even after I graduated, he continued to call me… daily if not hourly. The older four messages? They were all from him. I really must get around to deleting them…
Kimura finally spoke, "Hello, Kaaaaaooooorin…" he panted some more, "There is a concert for 'Puffy-Ami-Yumi' next week… I've uh… ahhhh… YOU AND YOU'RE PRECIOUS KIMURA WILL BE ATTENDING! KAORIN AND KIMURIN FOREVERRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Beep.
This is just not my week. This is JUST. NOT. MY. WEEK!!!!! WHY ME??? Why oh why did Chihiro have to move away with Ouyama-san? Why did Kumiko-san have to get married? Why, why, why?
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My woes are behind me for now – I wait just outside my darling, beloved, precious Miss Sakaki's office awaiting her surprised reaction to my presence… I can see it now… she'll step form her ivory office with the grace of a gazelle, an expression of pleasant surprise on her lovely lean face, perhaps even the lightest of blushes to compliment her already dashing features. She'll run over, her gorgeous ebony locks flowing behind her like a fierce river of shadows whisking me into her strong arms, pulling me ever so closely… then We'll gaze into each other's eyes, our lips drawing closer… closer… her warm breath tickles me… our lips finally meet in a long, enticing…
"Miss Aida." Sakaki's voice spoke softly, ringing in my ears.
"Oh! Miss Sakaki! It's me!" I sang, flying toward her with my hands clasped together.
Her face unchanging, she began to check her clipboard. "Let's see, you never listed what was wrong with your pet…"
"Oh! I don't have a pet, my mom's the one with the cats, and I just stopped by to see you, Miss Sakaki!"
Her eyes began to examine me as I felt my body tingling delightfully under her stare – I couldn't help but start to giggle. My face must've been so far beyond pink…
"Hmm," she began, "I'm sorry but… do I… know you?"
It felt as though my world shattered behind me and the earth crumbled away under me as I sank into darkness. Cold, unrelenting darkness. I swallowed a lump in my throat hard, "You don't… you don't remember me?"
"Should I?" Sakaki asked looking honestly confused.
I hung my head and decided to leave with whatever dignity I had left, "I'm sorry for bothering you, Miss Sakaki… you obviously don't remember me… but I'm Kao… Kaori." With that I walked away as Sakaki simply went on to her next patient, not paying attention to what it was anymore.
It just didn't matter to me anymore. Not at all. The golden flowers wilted to brown, the jets crashed, the sweet smelling smoke and clouds turned bitter and started to rain on me, the wings that carried me through Raspberry Heaven vanished and I fell to the sound of not wedding bells but the sound of drone, endless funeral bells…
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My name is Seika Kimura. I'm seventeen and I'm hoping to go to Tokyo U when I graduate – I'd really like to go into the music business, I always thought seeing Miyamoto Shunichi, Chihiro Onitsuka, Puffy Ami Yumi as my favorites and my idols. I'm not sure I'll make it, or if I even want all that publicity… I mean, I already get a little too much what with my father being so eccentric while not with me or my mother.
My father's been a teacher for as long as I could remember, teaching Japanese Literature for Tokyo High, right now where I go to school. He carries around the photo of this girl with a crooked haircut in the school's uniform. She's really cute in the picture and I think when I was thirteen, dad always called her 'Kaorin'. I wonder why he keeps this photo of her or why it's with him on his desk where everyone in class can see. I guess she was his trophy student back in the day or something – what other reason could he have? I mean if Mom's still around I guess he couldn't be sleeping with her or something.
My dad's nice but sometimes, the acting bizarre in public thing aside, he's really overprotective. I'm not really into guys so during the rare occasions where I find a girl I like dad goes all berserk and scares her off by singing some American songs he calls "Baby Got Back", "Too Sexy For My Shirt", and "Don Cha?". Do you realize how hard it is when it's that hard to find another lesbian and one that's actually interested and then have your crazy dad scare her off?
I guess that problem might be solves 'cuz dad did something out of the ordinary for him and set me up on a date with someone to go see the Puffy Ami Yumi concert. Now usually I would've gotten into a huge one-sided fight with dad but… you can't go wrong with Puffy Ami Yumi (the obviously yuri couple band) and a girl my dad claims to be "the cutest darn thing since his beloved Mafumi love-wife". My dad may be a bit off, but he has great taste in girls.
That date's tonight so now my two friends Yuka and Miruchi are helping me get dressed. They say I look like their old friend Chiyo's veterinarian friend but since I have no idea who that is I have to shrug it off. But if it's the veterinarian I go to with my cat and her kittens then maybe they have a point…
I let them go to work on my wardrobe and hair and such, not being particularly good with them myself. Miruchi, being the calm of the two tells Yuka what's tacky and Yuka being the fashionable one telling Miruchi what 'my colors' are. They really are the best pair themselves, be it friendship or more. They've been acting strange for years though, ever since one "Valentines Day" awhile back…
"Okay, we decided what to do," Yuka announced in a tone that sounded similar to her aunt Yukari, "now go take a shower and hurry it up!!!"
I glared at her a little, "Hey, relax—"
"Either you go in, or I'll bribe Miruchi here into doing it!"
I looked over and saw Miruchi grinning determinedly over in my direction as I gulped – Miruchi was well known for being athletic and strong. Yuka was the 'Prom Queen', Miruchi was the strong tomboy, and a as for me… I'm the one people are afraid to be friends with… because of my dad. So I'd be the 'pariah'.
I'm in the shower now by the way – I'm not about to get my ass kicked by Miruchi.
I shower using my raspberry-scented shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel before getting out, toweling myself off, getting dressed blindly in the outfit they set out for me and walked out to see Yuka smiling evilly.
This isn't good. This is sooo bad… she's going to go drastic I know it.
"Miruchi!" The wavy-haired little temptress shouted as her 'minion' girlfriend pushed me into my computer chair which they moved in front of my vanity mirror. Yuka spun me toward the mirror, her face appearing beside mind, her chin on my shoulder as she smiled wickedly at my reflection in the mirror, "Take one last look at yourself, Seika-chan," she started and I start to actually feel scared of her, "because once I'm done you won't be able to recognize yourself." With that said and done I was ripped away from the mirror, Miruchi sitting in front of it in case I tried to escape and look at myself.
Yuka began to spin me and in the blur of my room I swear I saw a flash of scissors, my suspicions confirmed as I heard the sound of snipping, my long black hair falling as I was spun around wildly in a shedding tornado.
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Several snips, brushes, and makeovers later Miruchi opened the door and Yuka swung me out the doors before I got a chance to look at myself. I wasn't worried about how I looked as much as I was worried about what those two were gonna do since I was no longer in the bedroom… Yuka's a pervert and Miruchi's submissive.
I started to walk to meet my date, hoping she wouldn't be horrified at what she sees. I suddenly feel like I shouldn't have trusted Yuka at all – not that Miruchi would've been any help. She doesn't wear the stuff but then again I never did either… and now my hair's short. I hate short hair on me!!! I've been growing it since I was small for reasons I forgot.
They didn't matter anymore I guess… on to the concert, I guess. Humming 'Tokyo Nights' on the way to myself I tried not to let anything bother me for once.
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Kaorin waited to meet her teacher and sighed – normally she would've just stayed home but she had nothing else to do and with her dreams crushed, nothing really mattered to her anymore. Kimura could've raped her for all she cared then posted videos and pictures of it on the internet – Sakaki didn't even remember her and that had been her eyes' spark for years.
She dressed a little informally – a denim-blue button-up sweater with a cream-colored blouse, a light pink skirt that went just above her knees and dark nylons. She wore black small-heals, simple but in her eyes still pretty. The only make-up she wore was the palest of pink lip-glosses, still making her look cute despite her forlorn expression.
"Excuse me?"
Kaorin looked up and gasped – although the difference was obvious, this girl looked very much like Sakaki. Her hair was shorter, a little past her shoulders but was the same silky black as her previous love's. Her eyes were not cobalt blue but a strange green that was dark enough to be black. Her skin was not as pale, not the same type of heavenly ivory but was a light peach-type color that complimented her eyes. The bust size was not as ample – it was a little larger than Kaorin's and she was very slender. She was a little taller than Kaorin yet not as tall as Sakaki, which was embarrassing in a sense since the girl seemed younger somehow.
"I'm looking for an Aida-san. My father Makoto Kimura set me up on a date with her… hey, do I know you?" She said, cocking her head to the side where Kaorin realized something – she was dressed a bit more extravagantly than Sakaki would've liked… she looked more like how she imagined Sakaki was – this girl wore a black mini-skirt, a leather jacket that reached over her ribs and ended at her waist, a mid-drift and almost transparent shirt, and she also had dark nylons. Her lips were red – almost devilish red. Her eye shadow was black and she just seemed… like a fighter… cool.
"I'm… Kaorin Aida."
The girl blushed and looked embarrassed, "Oh my God… you're the one my dad loved so much… now I get why… I'm sorry; I'm his daughter, Seika."
Kaorin almost smiled, a little relieved to see this girl was not as intimidating as she looked, "Oh! My friends mentioned you back in high school. I met your mother; she was a very nice woman!" She didn't know really what to say about… her father…
Seika smiled up awkwardly from scratching her head, "I'm sorry… I have the tickets if you still want to go with me, I mean I know you were his student and I know how dad can get… and I know I probably look a little off."
Kaorin smirked, "What? You're afraid of going with an older woman?"
Seika frowned, "Hey I never said that – besides you look younger than I do!"
"That may be so but if you're not afraid than why leave? If your father picked here for us to go you must be a big fan of Puffy Ami Yumi, so why would I stop you?"
Seika smirked, "Oh, fine. If you wanna kiss me that bad."
From the bushes outside the concert hall, Kimura panted, leaves and twigs in his hair as he waved a little flag that read "Heart knows no age" whispering, "Mission accomplished…"
Mrs. Mafumi Kimura popped out of the bushed as well, giggling uncontrollably, "I'm so proud of you, honey! It was a wonderful idea to pair your favorite student up with your daughter!"
The couple watched the girls enjoy themselves in the concert, starting out as awkwardly-assembled friends, promising to meet each other again as the sounds of 'Love So Pure' lead them to dance with the rest of the crowd. Kaorin laughed – something she felt like she hadn't done in ages and Seika enjoyed herself in being able to be the one to help without knowing.
This was only the start of something new.
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Songs of the chapter: Tokyo Nights by Puffy AmiYumi or "Who Knows?" by Avril Lavigne.
Sorry for the weirdness at the end. I know Kaorin and "Seika" probably wouldn't have hit it off even as friends that fast or in that manner.